2016 Fall TV Preview: 30 Premieres You Can’t Miss

These days, it’d take at least two years to watch only one season’s worth of #PeakTV, a quarter of which won’t even be around a second year. You’d need some sort of absurd television guidance periodical to navigate it all, but because we love you we’ve put together an in-depth look at 30 major must-see premieres kicking off as early as August 31.

Winnowing this list down to just 30 picks wasn’t easy. At one point, the contenders for this preview were almost double that. That’s Peak TV for you. But again, we love you, and we pared all those options down to just the best of the best. This is what we do for you here at ScreenCrush.

Come, wrap some barbed wire around your bats and grab a coffee in Stars Hollow, as we descend into the madness that is Fall TV 2016!

You’re The Worst, Season 3

Wednesday, August 31 on FXX

The final Sunday-Funday may be upon us, but don’t fret for the third season of FXX’s You’re The Worst just yet. The new season will pick up with Jimmy and Gretchen post “I love you,” as the latter enters therapy with Orange is the New Black alum Samira Wiley. Lindsay’s still preggers, and bound to stab someone sooner or later, while Edgar and Dorothy are soldiering on through their new living arrangement.

Ben Folds will also put in an appearance this year, which ... y’know, sure?

Atlanta

Tuesday, September 6 on FX

Few series have us as curious as Community vet Donald Glover’s Atlanta, a hip-hop tinged dramedy commonly described as “Twin Peaks with rappers.” Early buzz has been particularly strong, bolstered by a cast that includes Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Lee Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz. The series follows two cousins rising through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families, with Glover as “Earn Marks,” a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground.

Quarry

Friday, September 9 on Cinemax

Cinemax fans are in need of a little pulp to fill the void left by Banshee, and Logan Marshall-Green’s take on Max Collins’ Quarry might just do the trick. The series follows Mac Conway, a returning Vietnam Marine who finds himself demonized by the public, and drawn into a network of killing and corruption that spans the length of the Mississippi River. Also among the cast are Jodi Balfour as Joni, Peter Mullan as the Broker, Nikki Amuka-Bird as Ruth, Justified alum Damon Herriman as Buddy, along with The Wire vet Jamie Hector as Arthur.

Masters of Sex, Season 4

Sunday, September 11 on Showtime

Where once Masters of Sex heated up summer alongside Ray Donovan, Season 4 of the historically sexy drama will arrive in September, and without a Homeland lead-in. This time around kicks off a bit of the swingin’ ’60s for Bill, Virginia, Libby and the others, adding new guest stars like Niecy Nash, David Walton, The Wire vet Andre Royo, Orange Is the New Black boss Alysia Reiner, and more to returning talent like Beau Bridges and Sarah Silverman.

South Park, Season 20

Wednesday, September 14 on Comedy Central

As hard as it is to believe South Park has been on the air for 20 years. But don’t expect the landmark animated comedy to start churning out Simpsons-style guest stars and gimmick episodes. Trey Parker and Matt Stone still famously keep to their 6-day production schedule, leaving any-and-all plot details up in the air. You should expect a continuation of the serialized approach they’ve been gravitating toward in recent years. Not only that, if we don’t get that second movie, who’s to say South Park won’t end up switching to video games full-time? We have to cherish these seasons, people.

The Good Place

Monday, September 19 on NBC

New sitcoms are always a dicey prospect, but it’s hard to ignore the appeal of NBC’s The Good Place, with a cast like Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, and the mind of Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur. The new series sees the ex-Veronica Mars star as a ne’er-do-well accidentally sent to the titular “Good Place,” and forced to make the best of it. Also features among the cast are Jameela Jamil, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, and D’Arcy Carden.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 4

FOX

Tuesday, September 20 on FOX

Picking up from Jake (Andy Samberg) and Holt (Andre Braugher)’s time in Witness Protection, Season 4 of FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine will introduce yet another parade of guest stars, from SNL alum Maya Rudolph as the duo’s handler, to Lonely Island member Jorma Taccone as their boss, Rhea Perlman as a neighbor crushing on Holt, and Ken Marino as the new interim Captain back home. That’s all par for the course, but perhaps most intriguing of all is an announced crossover withNew Girl, airing Tuesday, October 11, with Brooklyn Nine-Nine at 8:00 P.M. and continuing through New Girl at 8:30.

Transparent, Season 3

Friday, September 23 on Amazon Video

Transparent fans are in for a treat this year, with Season 3 debuting months ahead of where Season 2 dropped last year, and Season 4 already in the cards. This time around, Maura (Jeffrey Tambor) will finally wrestle with whether or not to go under the knife, with guest stars to include Anjelica Huston and Caitlyn Jenner herself. Elsewhere, Shelly (Judith Light) seeks to tell her side of the story, while Sarah and Ali connect to their spirituality in different ways, and Josh suffers a notable loss. Plus, did someone say family cruise to Mexico?

Star Wars Rebels, Season 3

Saturday, September 24 on Disney XD

Following last season’s barn-burner of a finale, Star Wars Rebels will take a little trip through time in Season 3, aging up Ezra into a young Jedi teetering on the edge of light and dark. And while Darth Vader may not be so visible this time out (ditto for Ahsoka), Season 3 will more than make up for it with the introduction of Lars Mikkelsen (Rogue One star Mads’ brother) as Grand Admiral Thrawn, who returns to Star Wars canon after Disney’s acquisition of the franchise. Season 3 will also play around with different sides of the Force by introducing Doctor Who star Tom Baker as the mysterious Bendu, and keeping Sam Witwer’s Darth Maul in the mix. We’ll also meet a young Wedge Antilles, and flirt with plenty of other classic Star Wars lore, but what famous faces might crop up? Tune in September to find out.

Son of Zorn

Sunday, September 25 on FOX

We’ll be the first to admit that the combination of live-action suburbia with Jason Sudeikis’ animated He-Man type looks a bit off, but with the pedigree of Lord and Miller, we’re hard-pressed not to give it a try. The latest series from the Last Man on Earth duo seems like a clever send-up of macho-heroism, with a support cast that includes Johnny Pemberton, Cheryl Hines, Tim Meadows, and Artemis Pebdani. You can even catch a preview on Sunday, September 11, following the season’s first NFL doubleheader on FOX.

Crisis in Six Scenes

Friday, September 30 on Amazon Video

Woody Allen himself could barely muster enthusiasm at the outset of his first TV series, but we’ll see if the controversial director actually found some inspiration for his latest project. Casting Miley Cyrus of all people, Crisis in Six Scenes takes place in the 1960s during a turbulent period in U.S. history, when a middle-class suburban family is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down. In addition to Cyrus and Allen himself, the six-episode series features Elaine May, John Magaro, Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Rapaport, Becky Ann Baker, Lewis Black, Margaret Ladd, Joy Behar, Rebecca Schull, David Harbour, and Christine Ebersole.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead, Season 2

Sunday, October 2 on Starz

Rev up your chainsaws and head on down to Jacksonville, because the Evil Dead are nowhere near through with Ash just yet. This time around, our favorite Deadite-slaying quipster will have help from an unlikely source, as Lucy Lawless’ Ruby joins the team on a venture back through Ash’s own upbringing. Season 2 guest stars will include Sam Raimi’s brother Ted as Ash’s childhood best friend Chet Kaminski, along with Lee Majors as Brock Williams, Ash’s father. So, who’s the new big bad?

Conviction

Monday, October 3 on ABC

She’s back! Well, sort of. Agent Carter may be down and out for now, but we can always get our Hayley Atwell fix from ABC’s Conviction, the sexy new legal drama that Peggy would have ... probably rolled her eyes at. Still, with Atwell as a drug-addicted lawyer and former First Daughter, not to mention X-Men and The Walking Dead stars Shawn Ashmore and Emily Kinney, what do we have to lose? You know, beside Agent Carter Season 3.

Falling Water

Thursday, October 13 on USA

Once the buzz on Mr. Robot Season 2 dies down, USA will continue its venture into more cinematic programming with the Inception-esque Falling Water, brought to life by Walking Dead producer Gale Ann Hurd. The series follows three unrelated characters who slowly realize themselves to be dreaming separate parts of a single common dream with vast implications for the fate of the world. Included among the cast are American Horror Story and The Strain alum Lizzie Brocheré, The Wolverine baddie Will Yun Lee, Wet Hot American Summer star Zak Orth, and David Ajala.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Season 2

The CW

Friday, October 21 on The CW

The move to Fridays in Season 2 may not do this beloved cult show many favors, but this year we’ll have guest turns from the likes of Pitch Perfect star Brittany Snow and Jane the Virgin star Yael Grobglas. Not to mention, what should be a pretty awkward resolution to that finale cliffhanger of Rebecca finally confessing her feelings to Josh.

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Friday, November 25 on Netflix

Netflix isn’t necessarily in the business of revivals anymore, but Gilmore Girls fans will at last have their wishes granted to return to Stars Hollow for A Year in the Life this November. The four-part revival will consist of 90-minute episodes released simultaneously, covering each season for Rory and Lorelai. And yes, before you ask, the series will bring back Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, Matt Czuchry, Liza Weil, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Sean Gunn, and Keiko Agena, among many others. Original producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino will once again be at the helm, having left before the show’s final season in a dispute with Warner Bros.

Vikings, Season 4B

Fall 2016 on History

Already renewed for Season 5, History’s ever-expansive Vikings still has the second half of Season 4 to get through, with a premiere currently expected sometime this fall. The next run will pick up where the recent finale left off, as Ragnar Lodbrok (Travis Fimmel) returns from isolation to aide his now grown-up sons, and further expand their reach. Not only that, but Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) and Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) have a host of new allies by their side, which will eventually grow to include ex-Tudors star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, setting up a major Season 5 role. And say, what’s this about a Bjorn-Rollo alliance?